Instrument Review - Yamaha EMR-1

I couldn't resist picking up this little device when I saw it for less than ten dollars on eBay so I bid on it and won.  When it arrived in the mail a pristine little black box greeted me.  This "digital drummer" came with very low expectations but I didn't care.  The dimensions seemed to match my Yamaha FB-01 and the sounds quirky enough for me to find useful.  So, without further ado, here is my simple review.

Build

This thing is pretty sound.  All but four buttons are a soft rubber and they are all it pretty good shape (apart from the "shuffle" button that appeared to be the previous owner's favorite).  Despite its age the device looks brand new and I would rate this thing pretty highly.

Cosmetics

The device is simple.  Several buttons, a small LED screen, a light showing what beat it is that is slightly reminiscent of KITT's scanner bar from Knight Rider.  This thing is so neutral that it can pretty much be integrated into any audio setup without appearing out of place.

Sound 

This is where many would grade this thing poorly.  The device is just a box full of PCM drum loops.  This is basically a home keyboard rhythm machine with additional rhythms.  It has the same intro or fill-in features a home keyboard of that era featured so it makes you wonder who this device was actually being marketed for.  My personal opinion is that the sounds are dated and some rhythms clunky but they are also fun, and the main reason why I picked this up was because it was different than anything out there.  Modern drum and rhythm machines kind of sound real.  Early machines were extremely synthetic.  Drum machines from the eighties had so much variation.  This one definitely does not sound real, although it does have some wonderful hi-hats and cymbals.

Features

This thing is bare bones and I imagine it was marketed for the home amateur market.  You may want this device if you are playing in a church band and needed a drummer.  The features on this are kind of minimal.  It was designed to daisy chain to other instruments in the Yamaha EM series, like the EMT-1.  That is neat, I suppose.  This thing also has MIDI, line inputs and outs (using RCA jacks), and power through if using in conjunction of other Yamaha devices.

While the rhythm features are pretty standard, the only thing that I find on this that make this slightly better than the rhythm section on a home keyboard is the "large" and "small" buttons that seemingly mute or add certain instruments to the selected rhythm, which seems to help facilitate songwriting and differentiating different parts of the song.  I personally like this ease of use so that I may record starting with the intro button, transition to the main rhythm, use a few fills, and then utilize these two buttons for either a chorus or bridge.  This is similar to older rhythm machines that have potentiometers to alter the sound of a single instrument, just with less precision.

Overall

Over all, this thing is an oddity.  It plays PCM rhythms, none to spectacular, has minimal features, and seems to be designed to be used in conjunction with other dated Yamaha products.  Keeping that in minde, if you like to record using strange one-offs, musical oddities, or antiquated synthesizers, this is a great addition to any studio - especially when considering its size.

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Instrument Review - Siel MDP-40 a.k.a. Suzuki RPM-40 a.k.a. Keytek MDP-40

Late last year I reviewed the Suzuki Keyman PK-37 - an instance when a Japanese company outsourced manufacturing of their product to an Italian synthesizer manufacturer, of all companies.  While the PK-37 was a line unique to Suzuki, with odd designs and features (with the PK-37 not resembling any of its brothers or sisters), there were other instruments that were just re-branded.  While this is not all that unusual, the Siel/Suzuki partnership was kind of weird and the instrument we will look at today is the Siel MDP-40, also known as the Suzuki RPM-40, which was a simple drum machine.

What I find strange about this unit, which I will discuss in a little more detail below, is that this unit does not appear to be a costly machine and while it does offer some features useful for professional musicians, the quality (in both build and sound) is something lacking, which brings to question just who this machine was designed for in the first place.

Build

My first impression when holding this thing was that it was incredibly light.  The plastic looks of medium quality and appears to be the same type found in their synth lines of the time.  The buttons are sufficiently sized for a normal human finger to press but pressing some of them down they were either too responsive resulting in some double taps or not responsive enough causing the beat to be a bit off.  This may be chalked up to age but I will assume not.  The one dial on this thing - a volume potentiometer - is very firm and hard to turn but may be the sturdiest part of this synth.  There were no crackles when adjusted.

Cosmetics

The cosmetics of this machine aren't terrible.  The Siel and Suzuki differ slightly, with the Siel closely resembling the scheme of their other synths of the time, like the DK-70, with colored bars on the buttons.  What I found particularly odd is that while many companies that make different types of units (drum machine/synth/sequencer/etc.) try to keep things uniform, like the mid-eighties Korg DDD-1, DDD-5, or Super Section, this one has some similarities.  While Siel used the color bars on the buttons, the buttons are larger plastic square buttons with rounded edges while their synths used smaller rectangular rubber buttons.  This may seem minor but for some aesthetics are everything.  This was my main complaint regarding the aesthetics of the Seiko DS-250, where that keyboard had a completely different design from the earlier models or the add-ons.

I do like the graphics on the buttons.  The Siel features large pictograms so that a user can quickly identify the sound while the Suzuki has it split with the name.  Again, this is minor being that the instrument is small and will be close to the user to begin with.  The features are also clearly labeled.

And for some reason on the far left is printed "A.C. DESIGN."


Sound

This is where I scratch my head.  When a company releases a standalone drum machine you kind of expect to have slightly enhanced quality but this sounds like they ported some low-bit samples from a home keyboard line.  The sounds aren't terrible and can be quite useful and fun.  Their dated sounds can make great accents with a nice punchy attitude.  The kick, snare, rimshot, and cowbell are good, the hi-hats, cymbals, and shaker decent, the tom is alright, and the hand claps being borderline dreadful.

I will also say that the preset rhythms are kind of mediocre.  While they are not overdone like plenty of Casio rhythms, they don't really feel all too inspiring.  While that is a lot to ask from a cheap eighties digital synth, considering this was an independent drum machine I would have expected something a little more.

Features

This thing is pretty spartan when it comes to features.  It has 40 different preset rhythms (20 presets with 2 versions), hence the 40 in its moniker, tempo control, basic MIDI function, and manual drum play.  The couple things I like about this are that it offers a "swing" option and hand clap variations to the presets and that it provides 2 different breaks that allows for a break to be played and then transition to the second preset of the chosen option. It also appears two more sounds are only accessible through MIDI (a low kick and low hi-hat).

Overall

Overall, I would only recommend this if you like cheap early eighties digital sounds.  This unit is small and strange but because of its uncommon availability the price can be a little ridiculous.  It would be like paying a premium just to get some Casio preset rhythms.  Most of the rhythms are throwaways and some of the sounds can only be accessed through the basic-at-best MIDI function.  The clunky plastic buttons are reasonably placed and sized but just don't feel like a natural fit for a drum machine.

While I tend to dislike circuit-bending (because most people poorly execute it), this would be a great unit to mess around with.  The guts are pretty spacious and the entire left side is ideal for dials or switches.  Slap on some wood sides and some additional effects and this thing could be a gritty beast.  Without any modification this drum machine is just a lo-fi simpleton, or as another review called it, a "monster of mediocrity."

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Instrument Review - Fisher SC-310 (with SCK-30) a.k.a. Sanyo KBX-7

As a child who grew up in the eighties there were two main electronics that I had in my bedroom - a keyboard and a stereo cassette deck a.k.a. a "boom box."  The keyboard I had in question was a Casio PT-87.  As for the boom box, I couldn't tell you what I had.  It most likely was a hand me down from my brothers as they upgraded their equipment but there is one thing I can tell you - I used those two things almost daily, sometimes in conjunction so it is only logical for electronics companies of that era to combine the two and make the ultimate device in home recording and playing - a stereo deck with a built in musical keyboard.

I have found three different examples online of this amazing yet forgotten piece of synthesizer (and stereo) history - the Casio KX-101, Casio CK-200 & CK-500, Sharp MR-990, and the Fisher SC-310 (with SCK-30 stereo music composer).

Casio KX-101

Casio CK-200

Casio CK-500

Sharp MR-990

Fisher SC-310

All of these keyboards each have some distinctions in sound (although not much being that they are early-to-mid eighties square wave synths) and they have some varying features, although very little information can be found about these suckers.  The Casio KX-101 comes with a keyboard attached to the bottom and provides for 4-note polyphony, some rhythms, arpeggios, and chords.  From my understanding, the Casio keyboards also allow for the playing to be recorded onto the internal cassette deck (although I have read on some websites that this is not true).  I am uncertain about the Sharp mode but will be reviewing the Fisher SCK-30 because that is the only keyboard currently in my possession, however I will not be able to review the cassette deck features because I have only acquired the keyboard.  

Build

Unlike the Casios, the Fisher keyboard is detachable, which is nice.  For a small generic keyboard it feels relatively solid and possesses a decent weight (especially with the 5 AA batteries added).  The mini-keys sit close but feel responsive to the touch, the sliders feel firm, and the buttons on par with any other kind of toy keyboard of that time.

Cosmetics

This thing definitely has the aesthetics from a nineteen eighties stereo company.  The glossy black plastic that covers the top is definitely a change from the drab gray boxes Casio was dropping on the market (whatever happened to those cream-colored or wood-grain Casiotones?)  The features are clearly labeled and the LCD display is nice enough to even display a staff so that you know what note you are playing and where it is located.  My only complaint is that on the far left of the keyboard are nine bullet points describing the features of the keyboard.  I could understand if Fisher decided to eternally emblazon onto the face of their keyboard directions, being that they were not known for making keyboards and the memory play features of these early keyboards can be somewhat confusing, being that they require a sequence of buttons pressed, but bullet points that could be best left for the back of a box or a magazine advertisement?

Sound 

The sounds of the voices are that of an inexpensive analog toy keyboard but are slightly different than some of the other keyboards like this out there and considering some of the features, these sounds can be welcomed into one's synthesizer orchestra.  I wouldn't be surprised if under the hood this thing had some early Casio or Yamaha circuitry.  While they may not be the first chair, they definitely can provide some dynamics or accents to a song.  The rhythms are especially nice - particularly the several rhythms with added arpeggios.  As a fan of vintage rhythm machines, I find these numerous rhythms to be fun and enjoyable and after several minutes of playing around with the features I came up with several ideas for some songs (I had to stop myself being that I have countless unfinished projects already).

Features

This is where this keyboard shines.  While this instrument is monophonic with sounds that sometimes make a Casio VL-1 sound warm, it comes with 8 preset voices, 18 different rhythms, chord function (in a typical organ set up and not integrated into the keyboard like later home keyboards), and when the chord buttons are played along with a rhythm you get kind of a walking bass.  Personally I like the chord section resembling that of an organ versus occupying an octave on the lower end of the keyboard.  For an individual like myself who is not a trained pianist, having these non-conventional setups helps facilitate the creation of music in an easy and recognizable way.  While there is no fill option for the rhythms, it is easy to change rhythms mid-song to provide for some variation.  I also thought it interesting that one of the rhythm options is "enka," which presumably references the Japanese musical style, although I am not sure.  I was just surprised to see this option as I have never seen it appear on any other keyboard in my possession.

There are sliders for master volume, rhythm, and chord, transpose and tempo buttons, and perhaps the most interesting aspect of this keyboard - memory recording which allows for the playing of up to 508 notes into 8 different sections that can be stored on a cassette loaded into the accompanying stereo.  It is also believed that you can record your playing directly onto the cassette.

While not a part of the stereo, the keyboard only has a left and right RCA jack and no plug for external power.  While there is a battery compartment for 5 AA batteries, it appears this is because the keyboard is intended to be used in conjunction with the stereo.  From researching, it appears that when docked into the stereo the keyboard consumes less of the batteries and has a longer life but it I am uncertain if the batteries are required while docked.  While this is unfortunate, having the keyboard detachable is a positive, being that should the stereo component die you do not also lose an instrument and modifying the keyboard for external power or expanded audio out features would not be terribly difficult to perform and would be possible by a novice technician.

Overall

Overall I think this keyboard is a must have for any collector.  Personally I would choose this one over the Casios (although the KX-101 would make an excellent shelf piece since the keyboard is forward facing).  The sounds may not make this as desirable to some but the features packed into this small keyboard are a plus.  It may not be a centerpiece of a band but it can definitely provide for some interesting music or some level of variation should one choose to utilize the rhythms and while the audio output options are limited, having RCA outs does provide for a nice clean sound.  The portability is a positive for this keyboard.  While the battery life could pose a nuisance, as mentioned above it could be easy to modify, and even not, I do not see this keyboard being used to draft a symphonic masterpiece.  Intermittent use may prove the battery issue a non-issue.

Looking at just the SCK-30, I would recommend if you can find this at a low price (somewhere under the $30 range), or with the SC-310, possibly somewhere under $100.  Since this is not a Casio, you may be able to find this relatively cheap (I got my keyboard $20).  Personally, I love the forward facing KX-101 with all of its buttons, dials, and sliders.  A close second in aesthetics would be the Sharp with the retractable keyboard (those buttons and sliders again do it for me).  The problem is that those keyboards, while similar, tend to go for much more.  The Fisher can get you into the ballpark for a fraction of the price.

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